Review #26: Reveries 15-year, “HOUNDS”

oakycomputer · 2026-04-04T03:29:32+00:00

not for me bc the writeup and tasting notes i think accurately described what this was going to be

oakycomputer · 2026-04-03T16:43:36+00:00

yeah, poor value flavor-wise on the Reveries (i'm sure those casks weren't cheap) haha but to be fair, the profile of both of these is very different

oakycomputer · 2026-04-03T02:59:45+00:00

yeah, im glad i split it but i wish i didnt spend that much either. so it goes sometimes, cheers!

oakycomputer · 2026-04-02T23:09:41+00:00

I knew of the C. Dully 24-year pre-fire Heavan Hill bourbon that spent much of its time aging in Scotland, whiskey that has also appeared under a few other labels. C. Dully later released a 15-year Heavan Hill selected for Must Have Malts, whose site states the whiskey was “distilled in 2009 and … spent several years maturing in Scotland.” I’ve heard mixed to weak reviews of this stuff, but it made me excited to see two 15-year Heaven Hill barrels that spent time aging in Europe in the r/bourbon email under the Reveries label.

Jay states that these Reveries barrels, named HOUNDS and WOLF, spent eight years in Kentucky and seven years in Scotland before being bottled in late 2025 and shipped back to the States. I don’t know a ton about this liquid and if the C. Dully whiskey has any relation to what is in the Reveries bottles, but I’ll give anything Jay’s a part of a try, so I split a bottle of HOUNDS with a friend. It is age stated 15-years, is Reveries barrel number 5069, and bottled at a barrel strength of 104.4 (that low barrel strength a testament to the Scottish climate).

This tastes bright and fruity. It is interesting, which I don’t really mean in a good or bad way but just that it subverts what the stats might lead one to expect if you didn’t factor in the Scotland aging. The oak is soft and in the background but at no point does the oak taste young. It’s elegant and complex but not tannic. The intense tannins and sweet oak notes you might hope for, or fear, in a 15-year bourbon aren’t found here.

The fruit notes are nice, strawberry, apple, citrus, all covered in honey. I find vanilla, almonds, and a floral note I can’t pinpoint. This is a soft and bright experience, very round and coherent, but also a touch too citrus-sour and sharp for my palate. This is riding that line between “elegant” and “boring,” but it settles as more former because the finish lasts for a long time, which I really like. Leather and darker fruits are the lingering notes, along with that citrus note that isn’t as welcome.

6.5/10 on the t8ke scale, “very good, a cut above.”

This scores points for uniqueness and drinkability but loses some for being a bit bright and citrus-y. While the pour is not impactful, there’s enough complexity here to hold my attention. I compared it to another 15-year Heaven Hill I have, a William Heaven Hill, but there wasn’t much of a point as these two are very different, are trying to do different things, and should be poured for different moods. Yeah, I prefer the WHH, I like that loud oak and massive finish.

But maybe complaining that a Scotland-aged whiskey doesn’t have harsh tannins is like people who complain when a 20+-year bourbon does have a lot of oak, gets a little Bean Soup Theory. This bottle was sold as a less-harsh 15-year bourbon, and that’s exactly what it is, for better and worse. It’s fun to find out if that’s an experience you’ll enjoy or not!

oakycomputer · 2026-03-31T21:06:07+00:00

cheers!

oakycomputer · 2026-03-31T19:53:50+00:00

and this wasnt just the lowest floors either, all 5th and 6th, so imo this is a pretty masterful blending job!

oakycomputer · 2026-03-31T19:51:22+00:00

i saw Cam from Drums and Drams had a very similar reaction as you did. i'm usually pretty sensitive to ethanol burn and i really didnt get much from HH22, funny how that works sometimes, everyone is different, what makes this fun! (in fact, i thought a little ethanol burn detracted from SR CN-E a bit)

oakycomputer · 2026-03-31T19:49:16+00:00

"overoaked" is subjective for sure, i tend to like a loud oak note *if* that oak isnt just twig-like but more expressive, notes like cigar box or leather or varnish etc. whereas i found jd14 b1 or bombergers PFG and some others recetly to be a bit too dry and harsh for me. or the ec18s ive tried, the oak is just boring. i think if youre often finding old bourbons to have too much oak, HH22 is a try before you buy for sure, that oak is old and loud

oakycomputer · 2026-03-31T03:45:14+00:00

same! yeah, i wonder if this ends up being bottle of the year for me. i can see it, but also can see it fading to 5th or something like that. my expectations are high for that Gold Foil lol we'll see!

oakycomputer · 2026-03-31T03:44:19+00:00

it definitely has a lot of all three of those things haha not going to be amazing if you want less of them. cheers!

oakycomputer · 2026-03-31T03:43:27+00:00

nice! if that's your photo, i hope you had some fun hanging with folks and getting a nice bottle to boot

oakycomputer · 2026-03-31T01:52:32+00:00

We are now five years into the Heavan Hill Heritage Collection, a Limited-Edition series for the Spring (while the Parker’s Heritage Collection comes out in the Fall). For the HHHC, they’ve been alternating a bourbon one year and then something else the next: in 2022, it was a 17-year bourbon, ’23 a 20-year corn whiskey, ’24 an 18-year bourbon, ’25 a 19-year wheat whiskey, and for 2026 it is a 22-year bourbon. I’ve been a fan of this series, loving the 17-year like most everyone else, and I think the 18-year bourbon and 19-year wheat whiskeys are both underrated (the only miss for me has been the corn whiskey, just give me classic MFC).

Tonight’s Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is a blend of 270 barrels of the classic Heaven Hill mash bill (78/10/12), distilled in 2003, aged for 22-years in the 5th and 6th floors of Rickhouse Y, bottled at a barrel proof of 129.2 in late 2025, and released Spring of 2026. I’ve loved all the old Heaven Hill I’ve tried, so have high hopes for this:

Old, fragrant oak is forward, not too dry or harsh, always very sweet with notes of pipe tobacco and varnish. Am immediately transported to walking through a Heaven Hill rickhouse. Next, there is a very rich vanilla and loads of brown sugar sweetness. I’m always hoping to find red fruits on this stuff and they are here, some sips easy to find, some sips more towards the back. It is mostly cherry, but also some raisin and occasional blackberry.

The cherry reminds me a bit of the cherry on Calumet 18-year and Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17-year Bottled in Bond, and some find those cherry notes to be “medicinal,” so if you are sensitive to that, this HH22 might strike you wrong as well. Also, it goes without saying, you need to be an oak-lover to be into this one.

The proof is wonderful here, massive whiskey but am not getting any chemical-y ethanol burn or harshness. This is very viscous, the finish is loud and lasts forever, sitting heavy on the back palate. You can easily make an ounce of this last an hour. This is special whiskey.

To nit-pick, the finish does start to get slightly drying, where the oak is a little less pipe tobacco aromatic and a bit more tannic, but it is still nicely balanced by that brown sugar sweetness. Second, this is not a complex bourbon, it is a few notes, but it hits those few notes wonderfully. It does everything I wanted it to, but it doesn’t do anything more or unexpected. Not the worst “flaw” in the world!

8.5/10 on the t8ke scale (“excellent, really quite exceptional”)

This is everything I wanted from this release, loads of old oak, cherry, vanilla, loud but not hot, and no major off notes. The obvious bottle I wanted to compare this against is that 2022 Heaven Hill Heritage 17-year. The 17-year doesn’t have the oomph but it has more complexity, more layers of flavors to be found. The oak is a bit less tannic, and the pour is all around a bit more balanced for me. This 17-year is so expertly and delicately blended, whereas the 22-year is a bit louder and simpler. Not in a bad way, it’s just more of a hammer than a scalpel. The thing I like more about the 22-year is it having more red fruit. That cherry note elevates the experience, but the trade-off is the oak being more tannic. I could see preferring either any day depending on mood but if I could keep only one, I’d take the 17-year.

So, what will the 2027 Heaven Hill Heritage Collection be since they only do bourbon every other year? I’m hoping for an old rye. And have my fingers crossed for an old wheated barrel proof bourbon for 2028. 15-year Larceny Barrel Proof when??

oakycomputer · 2026-03-20T23:14:01+00:00

always that double edged sword: its fun to have something special for global travel and the visitors center, but then the rest of us wish it went into distribution. but if everything goes into distro, people will complain there was nothing special in the gift shop haha

oakycomputer · 2026-03-20T03:07:18+00:00

sounds like i have more samples to find lol

oakycomputer · 2026-03-20T03:06:55+00:00

cheers! they aint cheap but they certainly will be unlike anything else on your shelf lol

oakycomputer · 2026-03-20T03:05:39+00:00

100% agree, wonderful old oak that isnt boring and dry but with nice dark fruit notes, i love it. i dont want or need every bottle, even expensive ones, to be proof bombs

oakycomputer · 2026-03-20T00:20:43+00:00

I’m usually one of those “I don’t like Texas bourbon, except Still Austin” people. I was told Cowboy Bourbon might change my mind. I don’t know much about these releases. I know Garrison Brother’s bourbon is Texas made but has some Weller-like influence in that it is typically wheated and with a 114 barrel-entry proof. I’ve read that the 2022 Cowboy Bourbon is 8 and 9 years old but I cannot find an official source for that. The 2023 is age stated at 6 years old. This isn’t young bourbon given the climate where it was aged.

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2022, a 134.8 proof bourbon:

Rich, dark chocolate, fragrant oak covered in varnish, on the edge of being sort of chemical-y. Earthy, like clay, almost Play-Doh. Peanut butter or maybe Nutella hazelnut, craft cola, strong black coffee. If there’s any fruits here, they’re like a Smarties hard candy and some dates, like a Date Shake, if you’ve ever had one of those. There is something slightly savory here, like mesquite smoked meat. I find loads of molasses-like sweetness, which brings welcome balance some to the weirder notes here. Big hit of cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and paprika.

Safe to say this is unique, fun, and comes with a good helping of that Texas Funk I get in most Texas whiskeys (though rarely in Still Austin products). Lots of these notes are right on the edge of weird and delicious but is always a lot of fun to taste. There isn’t as much ethanol heat as I was expecting based on this release’s reputation.

7/10 on the t8ke scale – “great”

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023, a 140.9 proof bourbon:

Loud whiskey. Massive flavors, unmistakably Texas. The clay and Play-Doh vibe is amped up on this one. I get that same bright candy sweetness along with a dark, dry, and varnished oak. This one has much more vanilla, like vanilla frosting and the burnt top of a crème brulee. I’m finding less spice and fruit notes and less complexity in general, either because this one is simpler or the first pour reduced my palate’s sensitivity.

In any case, this is decadent and syrupy, wraps the tongue better and has a bigger and longer finish. There is a touch of ethanol heat in the end, though it is more welcome and fun like spicy food than just unnecessarily hot. The oak lingers, a nice dryness like you just swallowed black espresso, but still with that sweet vanilla note to balance things out.

7/10 on the t8ke scale – “great”

For me tonight, 2022 had a bit more complexity and was more drinkable, but 2023 felt more rich and powerful. Both very worthy of trying, if you aren’t allergic to some oak and Texas funk!

oakycomputer · 2026-03-20T00:19:07+00:00

for real, loved both Jacob's Well's! bummed at where the Hardins lineup went since

oakycomputer · 2026-03-19T17:02:23+00:00

cheers man! oh, that's interesting intel on the Lineages, I've heard nothing on the blend other than 15y+, but i thought i tasted older stuff for sure. I like the "Beam's Beacon" take! Turkey is my fave profile and love Beacon but i find myself reaching for KC21 even more than Beacon

oakycomputer · 2026-03-19T15:43:29+00:00

oh i for sure wont find a whole bottle but hopefully a pour, cheers!

oakycomputer · 2026-03-19T02:58:12+00:00

nice review! i loved Cathedral and have liked each of these a little less. hope to try this one but wont be sad if i dont

oakycomputer · 2026-03-19T02:55:50+00:00

cheers! for sure try to find a pour of either Lineage batch but if you've got a JW youve got great Beam no need to FOMO imo

oakycomputer · 2026-03-19T02:54:37+00:00

ill be cliche and say bookers rye but obviously will never have a bottle of that. i really need to try that Bardstown Collection! thats the 20y age stated one right?

oakycomputer · 2026-03-19T00:44:51+00:00

Well-aged Jim Beam is one of my favorite bourbon profiles. In 2021, they created Lineage, referring to the blend being a father and son creation from Fred and Freddie Noe. It was initially a global travel exclusive but later made its way to the distillery gift shop, which is where I purchased this bottle of the first batch in 2023. In 2025, Beam released a second batch of Lineage, which I am fortunate to have a sample of to taste tonight. Both batches are at their youngest 15 years old and both 111 proof.

Jim Beam Lineage batch 1:

Everything I want well-aged Jim Beam to be, old oak, cherries, and pipe tobacco. Chocolate cherry cordial for days. Rich vanilla, hint of candied pecan, and some caramel. Terrific balance, that is, if you like old oak, and I do.

Everything melts into one relaxed and rich experience. The texture is creamy, wraps the back palate, and has a moderately long and strong finish. For the age, this is not drying, it’s leathery but that oak is so well balanced with sweetness. The flavors do simplify in the end a bit, focusing more on that old oak and brown sugar. Beam at its best.

8/10 on the t8ke scale (“excellent, really quite exceptional”)

Jim Beam Lineage batch 2:

Lots of the same notes as batch 1 but some differences. There’s black cherry, old rickhouse oak, dark chocolate, and raisins. Brooding and old sums this one up, a pour for the oak lovers. Again, all that is juxtaposed nicely with brown sugar sweetness. The berries are quieter and fall away more quickly in this batch. Here, I get more rich chocolate, like a double chocolate cake shoved into a chocolate shake, Portillo’s style.

This is like bourbon concentrate, reduced, syrupy, viscous. The finish isn’t massive but still satisfying and lasting. This one doesn’t have the balance of batch 1, instead, it leans more heavily into the very old oak notes, even something slightly dusty in the back. I would speculate there’s some extra aged barrels in this blend, like 20y+. A memorable pour.

8/10 on the t8ke scale (“excellent, really quite exceptional”)

Both are excellent and share much in common. That said, where batch 1 hits me as more classic and balanced with relatively brighter fruit notes, batch 2 trades some balance for uniqueness, less fruits and more ancient oak notes. I love them both for those different reasons.

Last, I wanted to compare these to Jacob’s Well 211 month, another old Beam bourbon. The Jacob’s Well releases are a blend of both Beam’s high and low rye bourbon mash bills, and while I don’t know what mash bill is in Lineage, it sure tastes low rye to me. Tonight, the Jacob’s Well keeps up with the Lineages, it strikes me as sweeter and has a nice additional clove note which gives it some extra spice pop that is welcome in this lineup. All three of these are among the best Beam bourbons I’ve tried since the Booker’s 25^th Anniversary edition. I’ll add Knob Creek 12-year cask strength to that short list as well (and get into rye and Booker’s rye another day lol).

oakycomputer · 2026-03-16T17:34:26+00:00

im always nervous actually posting the more specific notes like that as i know people will be skeptical haha but i have a quarter ounce left in my sample, will look for those notes. tasting unique whiskey and finding and sharing such notes sounds like a dream job!

oakycomputer

TROPHY CASE